TRUCKS: Norm Benning’s truck too loose to drive at North Wilkesboro
by Brock Beard / LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief
PHOTO: Steven Taranto, @STaranto92
Norm Benning picked up the 20th last-place finish of his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career in Saturday’s Window World 250 at the North Wilkesboro Speedway when his #6 MDIA, Inc. Chevrolet fell out with a vibration after 62 of 255 laps.
The finish, which came in Benning’s 253rd series start, was his second of the year and first since Rockingham, three races ago. In the Truck Series’ last-place rankings, it was the 19th for the #6, the 36th from a vibration, and the 459th for Chevrolet. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 74th for the #6, the 217th from a vibration, and the 1,989th for Chevrolet.
It was at Rockingham, where Benning was parked for failing to meet minimum speed, that the veteran driver said he planned to race the same former Kevin Harvick, Inc. truck in the upcoming race at North Wilkesboro. It was at this track two years ago that Benning failed to qualify after he and his crew were unable to make repairs to the right-rear corner following a practice crash in Turn 1. There wouldn’t be such concerns this time around as Benning’s was one of just 35 trucks entered to attempt the 36-truck field, a list further reduced to 34 after Justin S. Carroll – also flagged off the track in Rockingham – withdrew the team’s #90 Carroll’s Automotive Chevrolet.
Rain cancelled qualifying, securing Benning the 33rd spot on the grid ahead of last-place starter Ryan Roulette in the #67 VFW - Veterans of Foreign Wars Chevrolet. Benning also ranked 33rd in a lengthened practice session that followed, this time ahead of a returning Derek White, back in a Truck Series race for the first time since 2014. White had recently been reinstated by NASCAR after a conviction based on alleged tobacco smuggling was overturned based on his heritage as member of the Mohawk nation of Native Americans. White secured the ride in Reaume Brothers Racing’s #2 after a family tragedy caused Alan Waller to withdraw from the event. Waller’s spot first went to Tyler Tomassi, who was then swapped into the Reaume team’s #22 in place of Morgen Baird. O.C.R. Gaz Bar, White’s gas station he operates on a reservation, rejoined as sponsor of the #2, and gained additional screen time when White was first on track for practice. Both White and Benning would play a significant role in Saturday’s last-place battle.
The only driver to drop to the rear for a pre-race penalty was Chandler Smith, whose #38 QuickTie Ford needed unapproved adjustments after running fastest in practice. Smith would ultimately win the race in dramatic fashion, prevailing after teammate Layne Riggs tangled with leader Corey Heim on the last lap of an overtime finish. Smith’s climb through the field began when the green flag dropped, his Ford up to 32nd ahead of Benning and the now last-place White, 6.315 seconds back of the lead. Ryan Roulette, the original last-place starter, had moved up to 30th.
During the opening laps, White fell about a half-second back of Benning, and by Lap 3 was 10.426 seconds back of the lead to Benning’s 9.882 with Roulette now back to 32nd. On Lap 5, Benning dropped Roulette to 33rd, and White closed to within three-tenths of Roulette, who re-passed Benning for 32nd on Lap 7. By Lap 10, White was still a half-second back of Benning, but now 18.369 back of the lead, putting him the first driver one lap down on Lap 11. Two circuits later, Benning was also lapped, followed soon by Roulette. By Lap 22, White was shown two laps down, and soon after began making multiple pit stops, dropping him four laps down, then six down on Lap 28 after serving a speeding penalty, then seven down on Lap 32.
By the last of these stops, White was repeatedly warned by his team to pick up his speed or risk being black-flagged. Benning, too, was struggling with a truck that was “real bad loose,” as he described it, and made an early stop for a track bar adjustment that dropped him to last on Lap 43. Benning returned to the track on Lap 48, when the caution fell for Tyler Tomassi’s spin in Turn 2. Tomassi had electrical and radio issues, and by Lap 50 dropped last as the crew looked under the hood and behind one of the wheels. Under that same caution, White’s team told him the #2 truck was fine, but the driver needed to be more aggressive in the center of the corner.
On Lap 56, Benning remained in last after he came in to change left-side tires, and at the same time incurred a pass-through penalty for a restart violation. On Lap 60, the crew frantically called him back in, saying they put the wrong tires on the right side, meaning he’d have to serve the pass-through on another stop. By Lap 66, the tire issue had apparently been fixed, but Benning had not yet served the pass-through. Time ran out on Lap 70, when the caution fell to end Stage 1, so NASCAR changed the penalty to tail-end of the longest line, which he did on Lap 80.
Soon after the Lap 81 restart, Benning was still unhappy with how loose his truck was running. He called for four, then six turns down on the track bar, but the crew wanted to make adjustments in the garage instead of pit road. The team still said they owed a pass-through penalty – even though the report indicates it was already served – or they’d be parked. Benning came into the garage, and told the team to tell him through the window. Already more than 19 laps down at this point, Benning didn’t return to the race, and was ultimately classified out due to a vibration.
White didn’t progress much further – NASCAR flagged him off the track short of the halfway point for failing to maintain minimum speed. Roulette’s day ended with brake trouble while suspension issues stopped Tomassi after a second accident on Lap 211. Rounding out the Bottom Five was Jayson Alexander, whose second career Truck Series start ended eight laps down to the leaders in the #02 Constant Contact Chevrolet.
LASTCAR STATISTICS
*This marked the first last-place finish for both Benning and the #6 in a Truck Series race at North Wilkesboro. It’s also the first time a Truck Series last-place finisher at North Wilkesboro fell out due to a vibration.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
34) #6-Norm Benning / 62 laps / vibration
33) #2-Derek White / 96 laps / too slow
32) #67-Ryan Roulette / 153 laps / brakes
31) #22-Tyler Tomassi / 209 laps / suspension
30) #02-Jayson Alexander / 242 laps / running
2025 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Reaume Brothers Racing (4)
2nd) Norm Benning Racing (2)
3rd) Freedom Racing Enterprises, Front Row Motorsports, Henderson Motorsports, Niece Motorsports (1)
2025 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Chevrolet, Ford (5)
2025 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
